MLB’s return to Iowa’s “Field of Dreams” has brought something that appears to be new (and controversial) to the sentimental game.
Gambling advertising from BetMGM and FanDuel can be seen plastered on the outfield wall, according to a social media post from a baseball journalist. Many observers slammed the promotion of gambling at the park, an expected fan reaction given the legal betting industry’s declining public approval.
The sportsbook signage is visible at the newly constructed permanent ballpark in Dyersville, Iowa, where the Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins played Thursday night’s Field of Dreams game.
The venue sits next to the site made famous by the 1989 movie Field of Dreams, starring Kevin Costner.
MLB returned to Iowa this year after previously holding games there in 2021 and 2022.
Gambling Ads Appear New
Photos from those earlier Field of Dreams games show commercial branding, but available images from 2021 and 2022 do not appear to show gambling companies advertised on the outfield fence.
MLB has had gambling partnerships for years, with sportsbook signage appearing at ballparks across the country.
The 2021 Field of Dreams game featured an old-fashioned ballpark design surrounded by corn that MLB promoted as a recreation of baseball’s past. It appears the 2026 edition has been more commercialized.
A Sense of Irony
Field of Dreams has a connection to one of baseball’s most infamous gambling scandals.
The film famously features “Shoeless” Joe Jackson and other members of the 1919 Chicago White Sox, whose World Series against the Cincinnati Reds became synonymous with the Black Sox betting scandal.
This year’s outfield advertisements also come as MLB continues integrating sports gambling into its product. On Thursday, MLB Network published a segment titled “FanDuel Odds and Trends” ahead of the Field of Dreams game. FanDuel also offered customers a special promotion specifically tied to the Phillies-Twins matchup.
Just last month, MLB was rocked by a controversy involving Phillies star Bryce Harper and FanDuel. Harper allegedly filmed a video that was used to induce continued gambling from a man with an addiction. Harper has denied wrongdoing; meanwhile, U.S. lawmakers want answers from FanDuel and the league.
Photo credit: Anthony SanFilippo
